Gondola Hire

Gondola Hire

Explore the famous canals of Venice by hiring your very own gondola for a romantic trip through the city. Sit back and relax as your traditionally dressed gondolier navigates the waterways, taking you past iconic sights and through charming neighbourhoods, with plenty of photo opportunities along the way.

There are lots of options for hiring a gondola. Choose a private ride on your own gondola, which can seat up to six people, or travel in a flotilla as part of a group tour. Whichever you choose, you’ll get to sit back and relax as you punt along Venice’s beautiful canals in your ornate handmade gondola, an unmissable experience for any visit to the city.

Group tours will take you along a pre-planned route, typically along the Grand Canal past Rialto Bridge, Palazzo Barberini and Grand Piazza San Marco, all while you’re serenaded by traditional music. Private tours are more flexible, so you can choose to go through the quiet backwaters and pass through lesser known, older areas of the city such as Santa Croce and San Polo.

For a uniquely romantic experience, take a gondola ride at night time. With the city lights reflecting on the water, it’s an enchanting way to see Venice from the canals. Back on dry land, continue your evening with traditional food at one of the city’s charming restaurants.

Most gondola tours allow you to book ahead. Don’t worry if you don’t do this though, as you can go direct to a waterside gondola station along the Grand Canal and request your own tour. For a budget experience of a gondola, hop on a traghetto across the Grand Canal, a quick and easy way to get from one side to the other.